1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a Ti-included oxide dispersion strengthened copper alloy and a method for manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a Ti-included oxide dispersion strengthened copper alloy and a method for manufacturing titanium included oxide dispersion copper having improved electrical conductivity as well as hardness and strength through spheroidization of oxides in a copper base and reduction of an average particle size by an internal oxidation.
2. Description of the Related Art
A copper-based oxide dispersion strengthened copper alloy is an alloy having improved strength, wear-resistant and electrical conductivity by dispersing alumina in a copper base. According to metal strengthening mechanisms, when size or radius of an oxide is small and a distance between oxides is reduced in an identical volume fraction, strength and hardness are improved while maintaining electrical conductivity. Reducing an oxide size and a distance between oxides in an identical volume in the copper base is a way to improve strength and wear-resistant of a copper-based oxide dispersion strengthened copper alloy while maintaining electrical conductivity.
The copper-based oxide dispersion strengthened copper alloy is mainly used as an electrode material, an electrical contact material for resistance welding, and a connector. In case of a copper alloy, it requires materials having both mechanical properties including strength and electrical conductivity. In the resistance welding, high conductivity and thermal durability become more important. Oxide dispersion copper has been used in a variety of high temperature electrical materials due to its excellent electrical properties, mechanical properties and heat resistance at a high temperature. Here, the oxide dispersion copper is generally prepared by an internal oxidation.
The internal oxidation is a metal strengthening method which forms a fine dispersion phase within the alloy by diffusion of oxygen from the surface of the alloy only to oxidize solute in the alloy. In the past, powder metallurgy is used in order to shorten heat treatment time for the internal oxidation. Powder metallurgy is the process for preparing a desired oxide dispersion copper alloy through manufacturing copper-aluminum alloy powder, internal oxidation, sintering, hot extrusion and cold rolling.
KR Patent Publication No. 10-2006-0094217 (Aug. 29, 2006) discloses aluminum oxide dispersion strengthened copper alloy powder and a method for manufacturing the same.